Omaha daily bee., 1887-06-26
GENERAL SPEED DEAD.
Lincoln's Attorney General Passes
Away-Sketch Of Hts Life.


LOUISVILLE, KY. June 25.-General
tv-six years. He was attorney general under
President Lincoln.
flames Speed was born in jefferson coun-
ty. KY, near Louisville, March II, 1872. He
this state from Virginia n 17Ss. His mother
was Lucy g. Fry. daughter of Joshua Fry.
She also came from Virginia about 1873. The
progentor OF the Speed family in this coun:.
chronicle OF England, John Speed. lie came
to Virginia from England in 1895. Captain
James Speed, his grundsOn, served In the
revolutionary war. Judge John Speed, his
beginning of the present century. His son
James received the ruliments of his educa-
tion in the county school, and afterwards at
st. Joseph's college at BardstoWn,
wasrs Of ss xeen WAS TIE ad"sssd nss we Ss as
Of Of his life were passed in the office Of the
clerk of the Jefferson county court, writing.
He then attended lectures at the law school
1888 he opened an Office for practice in Louis.
vile, and with one exception, was the oldest
practitioner Of standing in Louisville. His
life was spent in the practice Of the law al
added to his reputation without diSertingg
him from his profession. In ls47 he, was
elected to the lower house of the state legis-
lature In 1S49 he was candidate of the
o ps5y fS5 ds9sse I hs to Wns ns sase
ity of Louisville. When the war broke out
his action was decided and prompt in behalf
Of the union. He was made mastering Of
ard raised $4,000 men. In the first year OF
the war he was elected to the state senate
and served two wears, In 1864 he was called
to the cabinet of President Lincoln as attor-
ney general. His services to the country
gave him wide aud honorable repu-
iation. He remained in this high
office until July, 1866, when he resigned,
Andrew % Johnson then President The same
year he was chairman of the southern union
ist convention which assembled in Philadel-
phla to protest against the policy OF johnson
In VIII sSa Me
persons accused of the murder of President
Lincoln were brought about. President
Johnson, before ordering the trials, applied
Mr. spesS for his 10 ne as to whes5
and legally liable before military commits
sion. Mr.. Speed gave his opinion that they
were so liable and in July Of 1865 the reason
of has pngn was gsn IN to tine
captured by the military forces was kept in
custody at Fortress Monroe as a prisoner of
the military authorities, although subject to
the order OF the civil courts. In Septem.,
Der, 1865, the senate of the United
States called upon the president
for information on the subject of Mr..
Davis trial In response to this resolution
the attorney general submitted report and
entered into an argument to show that, al
though originally captured by the military,
jefferson Davis after the cessation of hostli-
ties was subject to trial only by the civil
courts. IN 1858 he was delegate from Ken.
tucky to the national convention which nom
mated Grant for the presidency. In 1875 he
was again made professor of the law depart
ment of the university sOf Louisville, posi-.
tion he continued to nh till 1870. Mr.. Speed
was married in 1919 to Miss Jane Cochran, a
daughter of John Cochran, Scotchman who
went to Louisville in 1888. They had seven
always q warm advocate of equal rights to
all, and his influence in shaping the legisla-
tion of the country to this end was sensibly
fet in the troublesome times Immediately
following the war